Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was to sit down for the first time Thursday with opposition leaders, in a bid to end weeks of deadly street protests that have rocked his beleaguered government.
A little more than a year after succeeding his late mentor, iconic leftist leader Hugo Chavez, Maduro agreed to an unprecedented face-to-face meeting with the opposition, after the regional group Unasur -- the Union of South American Nations -- offered to mediate.
The talks, also to be monitored by representatives from the Vatican, aim to end violent clashes between security forces and protesters that have rocked the country since early February, leaving at least 39 people dead and more than 600 wounded.
However, statements from both sides on the eve of the dialogue have raised doubts as to whether a breakthrough could be achieved.
Maduro this week suggested that the talks should be in the form of a "debate" rather than negotiations, since concluding a deal with the opposition would make him a "traitor to Chavismo."
His Vice President, Jorge Arreaza, expressed a similar sentiment, declaring that the government is not going to the talks "to strike a deal -- we're going to be heard."
Speaking for the other side, Julio Borges, an opposition member of parliament, told local radio that he would attend the talks "without the slightest feeling of trust" toward the Maduro government.
The coalition of opposition parties Borges is part of, the Democratic Unity Roundtable -- known by its Spanish acronym MUD -- said the talks would mostly be an opportunity for each side to sound out the other.
Foreign ministers from three Unasur nations -- Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia -- were scheduled to monitor the discussion, and officials said a senior Catholic delegation attending could include the Vatican's secretary of state Pietro Parolin, officials said.
The Caracas government gave no precise time for the start of the dialogue, to be broadcast nationally on television and radio. Media reports said they would commence sometime in the late afternoon or evening.
The dialogue seeks to end violent protests that began in early February as an expression of public unhappiness with Venezuela's soaring crime, high inflation and a shortage of basic goods.
Maduro, Chavez's elected heir, has lashed out at the demonstrations, branding them a "fascist" US-backed plot to overthrow his government.
His administration has responded by cracking down on the demonstrators, putting at least three opposition leaders in prison.
The opposition was still divided on Thursday as to whether they should even engage in dialogue with the government.
Borges said he would take part, but that he has no interest in "putting a chill" on the street protests that have succeeded in galvanizing world attention and setting the regime back on its heels.
"Now more than ever, we need peaceful, constitutional protest to put pressure on the government to achieve radical and democratic change in Venezuela," he said.
Henrique Capriles -- the state governor who was narrowly defeated by Maduro in presidential elections last year -- said the dialogue would expose the weakness and moral bankruptcy of the regime.
"I'm going to defend the truth, and when it is our turn to speak, there will be quaking in Miraflores (the presidential palace)," he said in a Tweet.
Meanwhile, jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, representing a more radical voice in the opposition, rejected the talks and urged supporters not to take part.
"You cannot hold a dialogue while also holding political prisoners and engaging in political persecution," he wrote.
Lopez, head of the Popular Will party, one of most uncompromising anti-Chavista factions, has been held in a military prison since his February 18 arrest in the midst of an opposition protest rally.
Venezuela last week formally charged Lopez with inciting violence and other charges related to mass protests against Maduro's government.
There has been strong international backing for some sort of negotiated resolution that would end the violence.
The United Nations office in Venezuela expressed deep concern over the weekend over the "high human cost" of anti-government protests.
The UN statement said people had the right to protest peacefully and urged the Caracas government to "ensure the protection of human rights of all Venezuelans."
Also last weekend, the government of Spain suspended exports of anti-riot and police gear to its former colony, and urging Venezuela "to re-establish a climate of reconciliation which has broken down."
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was to sit down for the first time Thursday with opposition leaders, in a bid to end weeks of deadly street protests that have rocked his beleaguered government.
A little more than a year after succeeding his late mentor, iconic leftist leader Hugo Chavez, Maduro agreed to an unprecedented face-to-face meeting with the opposition, after the regional group Unasur — the Union of South American Nations — offered to mediate.
The talks, also to be monitored by representatives from the Vatican, aim to end violent clashes between security forces and protesters that have rocked the country since early February, leaving at least 39 people dead and more than 600 wounded.
However, statements from both sides on the eve of the dialogue have raised doubts as to whether a breakthrough could be achieved.
Maduro this week suggested that the talks should be in the form of a “debate” rather than negotiations, since concluding a deal with the opposition would make him a “traitor to Chavismo.”
His Vice President, Jorge Arreaza, expressed a similar sentiment, declaring that the government is not going to the talks “to strike a deal — we’re going to be heard.”
Speaking for the other side, Julio Borges, an opposition member of parliament, told local radio that he would attend the talks “without the slightest feeling of trust” toward the Maduro government.
The coalition of opposition parties Borges is part of, the Democratic Unity Roundtable — known by its Spanish acronym MUD — said the talks would mostly be an opportunity for each side to sound out the other.
Foreign ministers from three Unasur nations — Ecuador, Brazil, and Colombia — were scheduled to monitor the discussion, and officials said a senior Catholic delegation attending could include the Vatican’s secretary of state Pietro Parolin, officials said.
The Caracas government gave no precise time for the start of the dialogue, to be broadcast nationally on television and radio. Media reports said they would commence sometime in the late afternoon or evening.
The dialogue seeks to end violent protests that began in early February as an expression of public unhappiness with Venezuela’s soaring crime, high inflation and a shortage of basic goods.
Maduro, Chavez’s elected heir, has lashed out at the demonstrations, branding them a “fascist” US-backed plot to overthrow his government.
His administration has responded by cracking down on the demonstrators, putting at least three opposition leaders in prison.
The opposition was still divided on Thursday as to whether they should even engage in dialogue with the government.
Borges said he would take part, but that he has no interest in “putting a chill” on the street protests that have succeeded in galvanizing world attention and setting the regime back on its heels.
“Now more than ever, we need peaceful, constitutional protest to put pressure on the government to achieve radical and democratic change in Venezuela,” he said.
Henrique Capriles — the state governor who was narrowly defeated by Maduro in presidential elections last year — said the dialogue would expose the weakness and moral bankruptcy of the regime.
“I’m going to defend the truth, and when it is our turn to speak, there will be quaking in Miraflores (the presidential palace),” he said in a Tweet.
Meanwhile, jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, representing a more radical voice in the opposition, rejected the talks and urged supporters not to take part.
“You cannot hold a dialogue while also holding political prisoners and engaging in political persecution,” he wrote.
Lopez, head of the Popular Will party, one of most uncompromising anti-Chavista factions, has been held in a military prison since his February 18 arrest in the midst of an opposition protest rally.
Venezuela last week formally charged Lopez with inciting violence and other charges related to mass protests against Maduro’s government.
There has been strong international backing for some sort of negotiated resolution that would end the violence.
The United Nations office in Venezuela expressed deep concern over the weekend over the “high human cost” of anti-government protests.
The UN statement said people had the right to protest peacefully and urged the Caracas government to “ensure the protection of human rights of all Venezuelans.”
Also last weekend, the government of Spain suspended exports of anti-riot and police gear to its former colony, and urging Venezuela “to re-establish a climate of reconciliation which has broken down.”
